Monday, June 30, 2014

Raising the Vision

Hello my beautiful family! I hope you are all doing well! Thank you for your long letters. I can't wait to read them!

This week was a disappointing one for us. We did not find great new investigators and set fechas that will last. We also had some problems on Saturday and Sunday in the morning which meant we weren't able to confirm plans for church and resulted in only 2 investigators in Sacrament Meeting. We know we have a lot of work to do this week to reach our goal of 3 baptisms for the month of July and get ready for August. We talked last night about things we can change in our work and in our hearts to have more success.

Hermana Peterson, Aldo, Patricia and Hermana Millet
Aldo and Patricia have been listening to the missionaries for about 3 years now. They were waiting for their papers from Mendoza so they could get married and then baptized. Basically, they've been dry members for years. When Hermana Suarez came on divisions a few months ago she was able to talk to some friends in Mendoza to send the papers they needed. On Friday they had their wedding (we couldn't go because we were in Ramos :( but the members threw an awesome lunch afterward) and yesterday they were baptized. The first Elder that taught them lives in Buenos Aires so he and his family traveled so he could baptize Patricia. The service was flawless and incredibly beautiful. I am so grateful I was able to see this step in their progression!

Jennifer with Hermana Carter
Hermana Carter has had as grand an influence in my life as President Carter. She is one of the most beautiful, spiritual, strong women I know. I am so grateful for her love, friendship and example. She has always found time to talk with me personally. On Friday she told me about your letter mom and how nice it was. I am so grateful to have gotten to know her and have another example of a righteous woman in my life.

On Friday in our last leadership meeting President Carter shared with us 4 focuses of the mission: members, families, worthy converts/repentance, teachings. Most of the ideas were things I already knew but it really helped me to raise my vision and remember my purpose here in the mission.

I have some regret about getting caught up in trying to reach my monthly goals and not focusing on working in the best way to baptize families and people that are really converted and will stay active their whole lives. I am sad to see that many of my converts from my first area in Lujan whom I thought were worthy converts, have not stayed worthy of the covenants they made. I have continued to learn throughout my mission and develop a greater understanding of how I can and should be working to build the kingdom of God. For the last six months of my mission I hope I will be able to incorporate all of what I have learned to still baptized every month but to help my investigators reach a state of conversion in which I know they will stay active in the church and help build up the gospel here in Bragado.

For this reason I am so excited about our family with which we are working right now, David and Cecilia. This week we weren't able to see David until Saturday and when we went he told us he hadn't read or prayed for a few days. We could definitely note a difference in him. We talked about the importance of the little things, even when we don't feel like we want to talk to Heavenly Father. He seemed to be a little better later in the lesson and on Sunday. They stayed for all three hours of church and then another hour for the baptism. We then ate lunch with them around 3:00. It was the 29th of the month so we ate niokis, a traditional Argentine dish. It was pretty good.  This week Cecilia told me that they are saving any extra money they receive so they can travel to Utah and be sealed in the Salt Lake temple in a year. She also went to our English class on Wednesday and has been practicing praying in English! I really just feel like they are my good friends and I am so excited to have found them!

We have so much work to do in our area but David and Cecilia give me hope. There are prepared people waiting for us if we can become the prepared missionaries the Lord needs.

We also had another little miracle that I will try to tell you about in 3 minutes. David gave us the referral for his brother about a week ago and we have gone by almost everyday but could never find them. On Thursday we finally found them at home and taught their whole family the plan of salvation! It was amazing! They have four beautiful children and were married about 2 months ago. As with all investigators, they have some challenges but I have faith that we can help them understand their need for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for them to open up their hearts and feel the spirit! I have high hopes for them!

That's about all I have time for! I love you SOOOO Much! Until next week!

Sincerely,

Hermana Millet

P.S. Things might change here soon, so I took a picture of the mission office to remember.



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